- Oct 16, 2026
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Kavanagh will attempt to halt a two-fight skid when he faces Ramazan Temirov on the main card of UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi this Saturday.
The 27-year-old flyweight entered the UFC with an unblemished record from Cage Warriors, having turned professional just seven times before signing off Dana White's Contender Series in 2024. Kavanagh began his octagon tenure 3-0, highlighted by an upset victory over two-time champion Brandon Moreno. However, he has since dropped consecutive bouts to ranked opposition, falling to Charles Johnson and most recently Brandon Royval via third-round submission.
Kavanagh attributed the Royval defeat to poor choices in the cage. "It's about decision making... not rushing," he said afterward. Royval, despite handing Kavanagh the loss, praised him as a future UFC champion.
Temirov also brings a 3-0 UFC mark into the matchup, coming off a knockout of Steve Erceg. The unbeaten prospect also holds a win over Johnson. Kavanagh has framed the contest as a clash of contrasting styles, calling it a power versus speed matchup.
The evening's headliner features Alexander Volkanovski defending his featherweight title against Movsar Evloev.
Source: MMA Fighting - Fri Oct 23, 2:00 PM ET
Written by the SportsMafia Wire desk in our own words from the original reporting (AI-assisted, checked against the source).